Chapter 174
Suddenly, a mere twitch of Oneida’s finger sent a thin blade hurtling from her grasp, which then fiercely buried itself into the neck of the aquatic
monster before her.
The aquatic monster let out a roar that seemed to make the very earth itself tremble.
At the same moment, its “hand” unwittingly relaxed its grip.
Oneida took her chance to break free, tumbling down from her elevated bind to the solid ground below.
The very blade Oneida had casually picked up at the water’s edge earlier proved to be unexpectedly useful
But in an instant, the aquatic monster lapsed into a wild, raging frenzy, flailing its limbs and beating the pond’s surface ferociously.
Giant waves erupted from the once placid, emerald waters, soaking Oneida to the core–once again.
In the blink of an eye–the aquatic monster reached out multiple “hands,” one coiling tightly around Oneida’s neck, another one binding her torso, and yet another clinging to her ankle.
Oneida was utterly immobilized, only being able to watch herself being pulled ever nearer to the aquatic monster’s dreadful head.
Then, as it opened its jaws.
The rows of massive, needle–like teeth were starkly alarming.
Oneida thought, “The aquatic monster must see me as food. It’s about to swallow me whole!
Stricken by panic, Oneida began to desperately thrash about.
The aquatic monster, sensing Oneida’s resistance, constricted its grip even further, rendering her almost completely breathless. Her limbs refused to obey her commands.
Faced with the overpowering might of nature, human beings can seem incredibly fragile.
If only Oneida had her weapons, there might have been a chance… But now, Oneida was defenseless.
Being drawn closer to the aquatic monster’s menacing maw, Oneida clenched her fists, ready for a last, daring push.
That’s when the sound of gunshots pierced the air by her ear.
A bullet whistled past, striking the monster with precision in its throat, brushing against Oneida’s ear.
It was a hit.
Blue liquid began to seep from the wound.
The aquatic monster wailed in pain, the noise echoing as if the bullet had found a vital target.
It recoiled its appendages and swiftly submerged below the pond’s surface, vanishing from sight.
Now calm, the emerald pond seemed as tranquil as ever.
And Oneida was falling.
Bracing for impact, Oneida was unexpectedly caught in mid–fall by a shadowy figure.
A stranger’s arm, cool yet oddly warm, had cushioned her descent.
Instinctively, Oneida looked up into the face of her savior.
A striking man met her gaze—with chiseled features, short dark hair, and dressed entirely in black.
“You…” Oneida looked into his eyes, the word escaping her lips before Oneida could help it.
“Are you okay?” The man looked down at her, his voice low and concerned.
Oneida thought, ‘His voice is also unfamiliar. Who is this man, anyway? Why did he appear out of nowhere and happen to save me by such a
fortuitous accident?‘
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4:31 PM
Chapter 174
“I’m fine,” Oneida asserted, her gaze deeply surveying him while gently shaking her head.
Reassured by her response, the man finally relaxed his hold, carefully setting her back on the ground.
Oneida’s eyes quickly caught the sight of the gun beside him.
It seemed likely that it was with this gun the man had wounded the creature.
However, the design of the gun was quite distinctive. It was not like the usual styles found on the market.
A thought abruptly streaked across her mind.
Her expression stiffened, and almost instinctively, Oneida asked, “Are you Knight?”
The man seemed taken aback by her sudden query, his cold gaze faltering for a fraction of a second.
Knight was a top commander under the leadership of Evan from Paragon Group, known for his exceptional marksmanship, and said to be the world’s deadliest sniper.
His signature trait was the unique gun he wielded.
And right now, the gun beside this man looked astonishingly identical to the one Knight always used.
Hence Oneida’s suspicion that the man before her might actually be Knight.
Oneida scrutinized him as if trying to discern any hint of truth from his expression.
Oneida thought, “Why would someone from Paragon Group help me? And to think it’s the notorious Knight.‘
After all, Oneida had had her fair share of clashes with Evan, the leader of Paragon Group.
Their relationship was far from good, with several disputes over interests.
As Oneida pondered this, the man before her finally broke the silence, confirming, “Yes, I’m Knight.”
Jackson watched Oneida, his wife in front of him, his heart equally turbulent with emotions.
Yes, the man who had saved Oneida was none other than Jackson, disguised and incognito.
At this moment, he appeared as his alter ego, Knight.
Jackson was both Evan, the leader of Paragon Group, and Knight, Evan’s ace sniper.
One man played two parts.
No one knew that Evan and Knight were in fact the same person–both were Jackson.
Today, rushing to the Misty Forest, he couldn’t possibly use his identity as Jackson. So, he donned a mask and became Knight.
Unexpectedly, Oneida had guessed his alternate persona.
Jackson’s gaze, profound and searching, rested on Oneida before him, as for the first time, he looked at his wife with inquiring eyes.
In his memory, Oneida was a simple and adorable girl.
He had only ever conducted a basic check on her background, never delving too deeply.
He hadn’t even bothered to have someone keep a close watch on her every move.
Naturally suspicious by nature, Jackson seemed unusually indulgent with Oneida.
For when Oneida looked up at him with her eyes shining bright and called him, he strangely let his guard down.
He didn’t want to doubt her, investigate her, or surveil her…
But now, he realized he might have been mistaken.
Oneida knew of Knight from Paragon Group…
Jackson wondered, ‘What else does Oneida know inside that head of hers?‘
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4:31 PM
Chapter 174
The shifting clouds in Jackson’s eyes made Oneida feel strangely uncomfortable under his steady gaze.
Without betraying her discomfort, Oneida looked away and spoke slowly, “Though I don’t know why you saved me, I still owe you thanks.”
If Knight hadn’t appeared in time, Oneida feared she would have been monster fodder.
Hearing her words, Jackson simply stated, “I happened to be passing by and lent a hand.
Oneida paused, pondering, ‘Passing by…? Is he serious? Just passing through the Misty Forest and just so happened to come to this well–hidden cliff base… His passing by‘ is a little too coincidental.
Jackson lowered his gaze to meet Oneida’s.
He knew Oneida doubted him.
Only now did he realize that Oneida too had this side to her. Calm, vigilant, guarded. All this was beyond his expectations.
“We should find a way out of here as soon as possible,” Oneida’s voice continued, bringing him back. Oneida looked up and around before casually asking, “How did you get down here?”
Jackson pointed to a rope nearby and said flatly, “Used this.”
Oneida saw it and said, “It is a good tool for us.”
Right after speaking, Oneida instinctively moved forward, but Jackson suddenly reached out, his hand pressing on Oneida’s shoulder. “First, take off the wet clothes you’re wearing. It’s very cold during the climb, and in this state, you’re likely to catch a cold.”
SEND GIFT
